Trapped horse is airlifted to safety, and more

Trapped horse is airlifted to safety

A 900-pound mustang named Colorado was airlifted by helicopter off a sandbar in Arizona where it had been trapped for five days by the swift currents of the Gila River. The horse had been left behind after its rider, who was rescued, was unable to make it across the river. The animal survived by chomping on bushes and trees. A heavy-duty helicopter lifted the horse to safety after a veterinarian injected it with a tranquilizer and placed it in a harness with blinders. “He’s doing good,” owner Vickie Eshenbaugh said of her flying horse. “I always wanted a Pegasus.”

7-year-old boy saves family with 911 call—"bring soldiers, too"

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A 7-year-old boy was at home in Norwalk, Calif., with his parents and little sister when intruders broke into the house. Grabbing his sister and a cell phone, the boy, identified only as Carlos, ran to a bathroom, where he dialed 911 and asked police to come “real fast” and “bring soldiers, too.” The intruders fled after they found Carlos in the bathroom and he showed them the phone, saying he had 911 on the line. For his courage and calm, Carlos was awarded the “911 for Kids” medal of honor, sponsored by a coalition of public-safety groups.

Woman sets record for solo row across the ocean

Katie Spotz, 22, this week became the youngest person to row solo across an ocean, when she pulled up to a pier in Georgetown, Guyana—two and a half months after leaving Dakar, Senegal. Spotz endured rough seas and painful calluses on her 2,817-mile trip across the Atlantic, living on freeze-dried meals, granola, and dried fruit. Her 19-foot boat, which was equipped with solar panels, a satellite phone, and a laptop, was hammered by 20-foot waves as she neared South America. “Sleeping was a problem,” said Spotz, whose adventure raised more than $70,000 for global drinking water projects. “It took a toll to put out that much physical effort on very little rest.”